Ok i dont even have a tank yet. I need to know what size tank would be a nice begginer tank. I want to just straight to a large 50 maybe 100 gallon tank and a small 20 gallon for the quarinteen tank. Is this a bad idea? Becouse my goal is a large saltwater reef tank. how do i get started

If you can afford the bigger tank, go for it. Bigger tanks cost more money of course, but they do offer a little room for mistakes. I started with a 125 gallon. It takes a little more time for the water parameters to change on you and they will change slowly. On the other hand, whatever you would need to do to bring the water back to "spec" would be more also.

Bigger tanks I think are a little easier to maintain. I am sure there will be more replies to this so don't just take my word for it. Sit back and wait for the rest of the replies.

By the way, Welcome to the best Aquarium Site on the net. People here are friendly and helpful. Just ask and you will get replies from some of the best people out there.

If you are serious about setting up a system, the best thing you can do is start deciding what you want to keep. Some fish and corals require more space than others.

As a general rule though, the bigger the better. You really are only limited by what you are willing to spend. I can't afford more than a 75 gal setup right now, so that is what I have. People do successful minireefs in tanks as small as 12 gal. The 75 is my personal favorite though. It's got a nice footprint, and has a lot of surface area to work with, so you can put a lot of different things in it.

Just remember that it's a fair estimate that you will spend about $20 per gallon by the time you are all done buying equipment and livestock. If you get extravogent, you can spend a whole lot more than that!

Take your time and plan well. The quality time you spend planning ahead will more than pay off with more success and better results down the road.

Welcome to AA! I see you live in League City. I graduated from Clear Creek back in '90 and live in Missouri City now. I'm still relatively new to SW myself, but if I can ever be of help, let me know. In the meantime, you may also want to check out M.A.R.S.H.. It is the Marine and Reef Aquarium Society of Houston. It is a pretty active group and by joining, you can get some pretty good deals on supplies and livestock around Houston.